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The Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS) today welcomed the findings from the Victorian Parliament Law Reform, Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee’s Inquiry into the Supply and Use of Methamphetamines, particularly ‘Ice’, released today.

The Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS) today welcomed the findings from the Victorian Parliament Law Reform, Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee’s Inquiry into the Supply and Use of Methamphetamines, particularly ‘Ice’, released today.

The report tabled today highlights the growing need to support families, as well as young people impacted by the growth in ice in Victoria.

Paul Bird, Youth Support + Advocacy Services, CEO, said ice has tripled as the primary drug of concern amongst young people in treatment over the last 18 months.

“This report confirms YSAS’ experience in seeing a new group of young adults becoming dependent on ice. Over a third of young people in treatment have used ice in the last four weeks.

“These young adults include trades people who have never sought help before, so they come into treatment services such as YSAS when they have lost everything – their family, friends and home,” he said.

The report highlights the pressure that the rise in ice use has put on treatment services such as YSAS and acknowledges that waiting lists are growing.

YSAS welcomes the report’s recommendations to better support the needs of families, friends and the communities before problematic ice use escalate into addiction.

“In the last year YSAS has developed YoDAA (Youth Drugs & Alcohol Advice), a 24/7 phone, email and web-chat information and advice response.

“We urgently need to develop better support for young people, families and communities to understand and respond to the surge and scourge of ice across Victoria,” he added.

YSAS encourages the establishment of Methamphetamine Community Partnerships, and notes that these need the capacity to work with families, schools, clubs and community groups with experienced drug and alcohol workers. This can be achieved through new Drug & Alcohol Response Teams (DARTs), a proposed initiative between YSAS and Odyssey House Victoria.

ABOUT YSAS

Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS) is a leading youth health not-for-profit agency that enables highly vulnerable and high risk young people, or those at risk of becoming so, with substance dependence and misuse, mental illness and social disconnection to take control of their health and wellbeing.